It certainly is not a little known fact about Donovan McNabb that he is a quality quarterback in the NFL. Nor is it a little known fact about Donovan McNabb that to many Philadelphia Eagle fans Donovan McNabb represents the Philadelphia franchise, as he goes, so goes the team. And it certainly isn’t a little known fact about Donovan McNabb that he and Terrell Owens had a massive parting of the ways as two superstars on the same team. But there are some little known facts about Donvovan McNabb that help give a fuller picture of who Donovan McNabb really is and besides are just plain fun to read about if you are a sports fan.
Donovan’s Mom Big time athletes often give credit to their parents for the assistance they received as they were growing up. Donovan McNabb had the chance to give a special and very different bit of recognition to his Mom by sharing a televised commercial with her. For a full season we all had plenty of chances to see Donovan McNabb’s Mom making sure her boy got some hearty soup into him before a big game. It was a commercial for sure but it was also a nice way to show the closeness between a mother and son, no matter how famous he was.
The little known fact about Donovan McNabb is that his mom is not just a mom who cares about her kids and what they eat, Donovan’s Mom actually is a registered nurse. The irony is that in making the ad, the television folks actually used someone who might really know what Donovan should and shouldn’t be eating from a professional standpoint. They also chose a mom, who because of her profession, might have even more of an eye on everything that Donovan did related to his personal health. Who knows how many times Donovan McNabb’s mom steered him in the right direction in terms of his physical fitness and overall well being as he grew up.
Donovan in High School Like many NFL players, Donovan McNabb played sports in high school. He attended a Catholic all male school on the South Side of Chicago called Mount Carmel High. While he was there Donovan got plenty of opportunity to play sports and he took advantage of the opportunity playing both basketball and football.
While some of this background became well known when he moved on to college, a little known fact about Donovan McNabb is that while he was enjoying his high school multi sports career he was also enjoying the chance to work out with another soon to be professional athlete. On the same basketball team with Donovan McNabb was one Antoine Walker, once a Boston Celtics standout and still playing in the NBA today. Donovan and Antoine could only have improved one another’s abilities by the opportunity they shared to play against one another.
College Football Donovan McNabb attended Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York. His college team participated in the Big East Conference. While it was never one of the top football conferences in the nation, the Big East offered plenty of tough competition and lots of national exposure. Donovan McNabb, Syracuse quarterback soon became a well known name in Big East Football circles.
While Donovan compiled an excellent collection of statistics while playing at Syracuse what he perhaps was best known for was his physical toughness. A little known fact about Donovan McNabb was that while playing for Syracuse University he started every single game of his college career. When you are playing at the quarterback position you have lots of protection in front of you but you also have a lot of people on the other side wanting to take you down. The fact that Donovan toughed his way through every game of his college career without exception may well be a little known fact about Donovan McNabb but it was an accomplishment that meant a great deal to his coach, team and school.
We often hear about college players being named “player of the year” or “player of the week” but a little known fact about Donovan McNabb is that while playing college football at Syracuse he was named “Big Eat Conference Player of the Decade” in the 1980’s. It may be a little known fact about Donovan McNabb but it is quite a statement about the respect he earned in the Big East and beyond.
More Sports Than One Donovan McNabb dazzled spectators on the football field. His agility, dexterity and especially his good natured approach to a tough, contact sport all endeared him to Syracuse fans and sports fans across the nation. But a little known, or easily forgotten, fact about Donovan McNabb is that Donovan also played varsity basketball. When the football season came to its completion, there was Donovan suiting up for basketball practice with Coach Jim Boehiem and team.
McNabb was not labeled a starter at Syracuse. Still his athleticism, competitive drive and experience in taking charge all served him in good stead as a very valuable and oft used substitute for the Orangemen. McNabb did not set any scoring records on the basketball court at Syracuse, but his solid team play and positive spirit left an impression on his team, the opposition and spectators.
Taken together these little known facts about Donovan McNabb give us hints about the kind of professional athlete and mature adult he would one day become.
